13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

SetsandVennDiagrams

Sets
A set isacollectionofthings.
Forexample,theitemsyouwearisaset:thesewouldinclude
shoes,socks,hat,shirt,pants,andsoon.
Youwritesetsinsidecurlybracketslikethis:
{socks,shoes,pants,watches,shirts,...}
Youcanalsohavesetsofnumbers:
Setofwholenumbers:{0,1,2,3,...}
Setofprimenumbers:{2,3,5,7,11,13,17,
...}

Ten Best Friends

Youcouldhaveasetmadeupofyourtenbestfriends:
{alex,blair,casey,drew,erin,francis,glen,hunter,ira,
jade}
Eachfriendisan"element"(or"member")oftheset(itisnormaltouselowercase
lettersforthem.)

Nowlet'ssaythatalex,casey,drewandhunterplaySoccer:

Soccer={alex,casey,drew,hunter}
http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

1/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

(TheSet"Soccer"ismadeupoftheelementsalex,casey,
drewandhunter).
Andcasey,drewandjadeplay
Tennis:

Tennis={casey,drew,jade}
Youcouldputtheirnamesintwoseparatecircles:

Union
YoucannowlistyourfriendsthatplaySoccerORTennis.
Thisiscalleda"Union"ofsetsandhasthespecialsymbol:

SoccerTennis={alex,casey,drew,hunter,jade}
Noteveryoneisinthatset...onlyyourfriendsthatplaySoccerorTennis(orboth).
Wecanalsoputitina"VennDiagram":

VennDiagram:Unionof2Sets
http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

2/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

AVennDiagramiscleverbecauseitshowslotsofinformation:

Doyouseethatalex,casey,drewandhunterareinthe"Soccer"
set?
Andthatcasey,drewandjadeareinthe"Tennis"set?
Andhereisthecleverthing:caseyanddrewareinBOTHsets!

Intersection
"Intersection"iswhenyouhavetobeinBOTHsets.
InourcasethatmeanstheyplaybothSoccerANDTennis...whichiscaseyanddrew.
ThespecialsymbolforIntersectionisanupsidedown"U"likethis:
Andthisishowwewriteitdown:

SoccerTennis={casey,drew}
InaVennDiagram:

VennDiagram:Intersectionof2Sets

WhichWayDoesThat"U"Go?
http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

3/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

Thinkofthemas"cups":wouldholdmorewaterthan,
right?
SoUnionistheonewithmoreelementsthanIntersection

Difference
Youcanalso"subtract"onesetfromanother.
Forexample,takingSoccerandsubtractingTennismeanspeoplethatplaySoccerbut
NOTTennis...whichisalexandhunter.
Andthisishowwewriteitdown:

SoccerTennis={alex,hunter}
InaVennDiagram:

VennDiagram:Differenceof2Sets

Summary So Far
isUnion:isineitherset
isIntersection:mustbeinbothsets
isDifference:inonesetbutnotthe
other
http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

4/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

Three Sets
YoucanalsouseVennDiagramsfor3sets.
Letussaythethirdsetis"Volleyball",whichdrew,glenandjadeplay:

Volleyball={drew,glen,jade}
Butlet'sbemore"mathematical"anduseaCapitalLetterforeachset:
SmeansthesetofSoccerplayers
TmeansthesetofTennisplayers
VmeansthesetofVolleyball
players
TheVennDiagramisnowlikethis:

Unionof3Sets:STV
Youcansee(forexample)that:
drewplaysSoccer,TennisandVolleyball
jadeplaysTennisandVolleyball
alexandhunterplaySoccer,butdon'tplayTennisor
Volleyball
nooneplaysonlyTennis
WecannowhavesomefunwithUnionsandIntersections...
http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

5/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

ThisisjustthesetS

S={alex,casey,drew,hunter}

ThisistheUnionofSetsTandV

TV={casey,drew,jade,glen}

http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

6/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

ThisistheIntersectionofSetsSandV

SV={drew}
Andhowaboutthis...
taketheprevioussetS
V
thensubtractT:

ThisistheIntersectionofSetsSandVminusSetT

(SV)T={}
Hey,thereisnothingthere!
ThatisOK,itisjustthe"EmptySet".Itisstillaset,soweusethecurlybracketswith
nothinginside:{}

TheEmptySethasnoelements:{}
http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

7/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

Universal Set
TheUniversalSetisthesetthatcontainseverything.Well,not
exactlyeverything.Everythingthatweareinterestedinnow.

Sadly,thesymbolistheletter"U"...whichiseasytoconfusewiththefor
Union.Youjusthavetobecareful,OK?
InourcasetheUniversalSetisourTenBestFriends.

U={alex,blair,casey,drew,erin,francis,glen,hunter,ira,jade}
WecanshowtheUniversalSetinaVennDiagrambyputtingaboxaroundthewholething:

NowyoucanseeALLyourtenbestfriends,neatlysortedintowhatsporttheyplay(or
not!).
Andthenwecandointerestingthingsliketakethewholesetandsubtracttheoneswho
playSoccer:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

8/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

Wewriteitthisway:

US={blair,erin,francis,glen,ira,jade}
Whichsays"TheUniversalSetminustheSoccerSetistheSet{blair,erin,francis,glen,
ira,jade}"
Inotherwords"everyonewhodoesnotplaySoccer".

Complement
Andthereisaspecialwayofsaying"everythingthatisnot",anditiscalled
"complement".
Weshowitbywritingalittle"C"likethis:

Sc
Whichmeans"everythingthatisNOTinS",likethis:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

9/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

Sc={blair,erin,francis,glen,ira,jade}
(justliketheUCexamplefromabove)

Summary
isUnion:isineitherset
isIntersection:mustbeinbothsets
isDifference:inonesetbutnottheother
AcistheComplementofA:everythingthatisnotin
A
EmptySet:thesetwithnoelements.Shownby{}
UniversalSet:allthingsweareinterestedin

Question1Question2Question3Question4
Question5Question6Question7Question8
Question9Question10
http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

10/11

13/06/2015

SetsandVennDiagrams

Search::Index::About::Contact::Contribute::CiteThisPage::Privacy
Copyright2013MathsIsFun.com

http://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/venndiagrams.html

11/11